What are the steps of an eyelid surgery procedure?

Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) helps reduce signs of aging around the eyelids for more youthful, rested looking eyes. This procedure involves a few steps, which can vary slightly depending on the surgical technique used for upper or lower eyelid lift cosmetic surgery.

During the pre-operative consultation, the surgeon will inform the patient about the various steps involved in the procedure. This information will allow the patient to feel more reassured and confident about their blepharoplasty procedure.

Muse Plastic Surgery, led by double board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Wright Jones, provides blepharoplasty to patients in Atlanta, Buckhead, Stockbridge, Marietta, GA, and surrounding communities.

Anesthesia

The plastic surgeon may perform an eyelid surgery with the patient under local anesthesia and mild sedation. If the procedure is more complex, or the patient feels very anxious, the surgeon may decide to perform the eyelid lift plastic surgery under general anesthesia.

An anesthesiologist or a registered nurse anesthetist will administer the anesthesia to the patient.

Lower Eyelid Surgery

After placing the patient under anesthesia, the eyelid surgeon will start the lower eyelid surgery by placing small incisions in pre-determined sites. In general, they will place these incisions in the natural creases underneath the lower eyelashes. The surgeon will remove excess fat and skin through these incisions, and tighten the underlying sagging muscles.

In case the patient has depressions underneath the lower lids, they may need an additional fat transfer procedure. After the procedure is complete, the surgeon will carefully suture the incisions. Plastic surgeon to the stars Dr. Wright Jones will ensure safe and sustainable outcomes in a delicate procedure such as eyelid surgery.

Upper Eyelid Surgery

This procedure involves the surgeon placing incisions in the natural creases of the upper lids. Through these incisions, they will trim loose skin to reduce the sagginess in the upper eyelids and treat concerns of partial vision hindrance. In case the underlying muscles are sagging or weak, the surgeon may reposition these as well through the incisions.

The surgeon will remove the extra skin, and then lift and reattach the remaining skin to create smooth and more youthful looking upper lids. They will subsequently seal the incisions with fine sutures.

Transconjunctival Eyelid Surgery

In case the patient does not require skin tightening but only needs a reduction in the fatty deposits around the eyelids, the surgeon may recommend a transconjunctival blepharoplasty.

This procedure is comparatively less invasive and appropriate for patients that do not have significant puffiness in the under eye region.

After placing the patient under anesthesia, a surgeon will place a few tiny incisions within the lower eyelids and eliminate excess fatty pockets through these incisions improving the appearance of the area. This procedure does not involve skin excision and muscle tightening.

Recovery

After the eyelid lift surgery, the patient can usually return home on the day of the surgery itself. The patient will usually need one week of downtime following which they can resume their normal activities or return to work. The patient can apply ice therapy to reduce the swelling in the initial two or three days.

The surgeon may prescribe pain medications and a topical cream for relief in the early recovery phase. The patient should not expose the treated sites to the sun for several weeks following the blepharoplasty.

Famous plastic surgeon Dr. Wright Jones receives patients from Atlanta, Buckhead, Stockbridge, Marietta, GA, and other cities and towns in this area of the nation for blepharoplasty.See all plastic surgery procedures that Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon Dr. Wright Jones performs of the face, nose, body, and breast in and around Atlanta, Buckhead, Stockbridge, Marietta, GA and surrounding areas.